Traveling stairway or elevator



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R. OARTWRIGHT. TRAVELING STAIRWAY 0R ELEVATOR.

No. 593,874. Patented Nov. 16, 1897.

wi/tmoow 2 t e e h s w e e h S T a d 0 M 0 W Patented Nov; 16

IIIIIIll!ll llllllll llllllllllllll (No Model.) I 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.. R. OARTWRIGHT. TRAVELING STAIRWAY 0R ELEVATOR.

Patented Nov. 16

Nr'rnn STATES.

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PATENT TRAVELING I'SITAIRWAY OR ELEvATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 593,874, dated November 16, 1897.

' Application filed July 23, 1896. Serial No. 600,270. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT CARTWRIGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of .New York, have invented certain new and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in .which- Figure 1 is a view of sufficient of an elevating apparatus in side elevation to illustrate my improvements. Fig; 2 is a plan of the upper portion of said apparatus. transverse section on the line A A, Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a side view of part of the apparatus. Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse section at the Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section on the line A A Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a detached view; Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view on the line A A Fig. 3.

My elevator consists of an endless chain of carriages Gr, the carrying portion of which between terminal drums is supported and directed by rails partly level and partly inclined, as circumstances may require. Each carriage G is so proportioned that when a number of adjacent carriages are upon an incline each will constitute a step having a tread l and a riser 2, and through each carriage extends a shaft J, upon the end of which are secured or turn flanged wheels H, bearing upon the guide-rails M M, which, as

shown, are horizontal adjacent to the wheels.

0 E of the drums andat an intermediate point and are inclined at other points, although'it'will be evident that they may under some circumstances be abolutely or nearly horizontal for their entire length, or they may be inclined continuously from one drum to the other. In some instances there may be intermediate rails, one or more, a single rail L being shown, upon which bear wheels I upon the shafts K, which connect the Fig. 3 is a upper portion of the line'A A, Fig. l.'

lower ends of brackets 45 t, that swing upon the shafts J and support the treads and risers. Where there is an intermediate rail, an intermediate bracket 5 gives additional support and is preferably forked at the lower end to embrace the wheel I and hold it in place.

By making each carriage of two or more -brackets, which may be made of cast-iron, with a tread and risers consisting of plates bolted to said brackets, I obtain a strong, simple, and inexpensive construction.

The successive carriages are connected by links Y, each of which has eyes at the opposite [ends to receive the ends of the axles J at some point adjacent to the flanged wheels H, but preferably a short distance from the latter, so that the intermediate portion of the axle may rest in the sockets formed by series of ratchet-teeth V at the periphery of the wheels 0 O E E of the drums. The links thus connect all the carriages in a continuous chain, while the rotation of the drums imparts movement to the said chain in either direction, as desired, the wheels of one of the drums, or both if necessary, being provided with peripheral teeth P, gearing with pinions Q upon' a shaft Q, which may be driven from any suitable source of power.

The treads of the carriages are of such a width that when the carriages are upon a horizontal line these treads will constitute a continuous unbroken plane, the edges of the treads practically in contact.

It will be evident that as the carriages sucoessively reach an. inclined portion of the tread they will be lifted above those which are upon a horizontal plane, and in order that this variation of the level of the carriages may not result in the formation of any space or opening in which articles might become wedged or in which the feet or hands of passengers on the platform could under any circumstances enter and be caught when the carriages adjacent to each again assume a level position I make each riser 2 conform to the path traveled by the edge of the adjacent tread as the carriage rises or falls froma horizontal position level with the adjacent tread tov the height which it is to attain above said adjacent tread. Thus each riser 2 iscurved outwardly, as best shown in Fig. 6, where the IOO series of three carriages form three successive steps, the edge of each tread in substantial contact with the face of the riser, and as the carriages are brought to a horizontal position, as shown, for instance, at T, Fig. 1, when the carriages pass from the incline to the horizontal part of the tracks, the course traversed by the edge of each tread will be such that the relation of tread and adjacent riser is maintained at all ti mesthat is, there is substantial close proximity without any intervening opening at any time during the change of positions.

In order to maintain the carriages with the treads at all times horizontal, the brackets or bearings at (and 5 when intermediate brackets are used) extend below the shafts .I and are connected by the shafts or rods K, between which extend links Z. Each of said links swings upon one of the rods K and has an elongated eye 00 to receive the next adjacent rod K. This permits sufiicient play to allow the adjacent carriages to assume radial positions in passing around the drums.

\Vhere the carrying portion of the elevator always operates upon an upward or a downward incline, (in connection or not with ahorizontal portion,)it is only necessary to provide the carriages with risers 2 at one side; but where the track inclines first upward and then downward the carriages should have risers upon opposite sides.

The connected carriages in passing around the peripheries of the drums are maintained in proper radial position by providing each wheel 0 C or E E with lugs or projections V, shown as beveled at one side, and which by contact with the brackets 45 tend to hold them in radial position.

To prevent the lifting of the wheels II from the rails M at points where the carriages change their direction of movement, I secure guard-rails X adjacent to said points in position above the wheels II to hold them down to their bearings on the rails below. These guard-rails are angular, and their arms extend upon each side of the bend in the supporting-rails and lie parallel to the horizontal and inclined portions of said rails. In order to avoid straining the chain of carriages, I conduct that portion which is not in operation upon its return movement over rails M, upon which the wheels II run. The rails M, however, do not extend fully to the upper drum, so that an intermediate portion of the chain of carriages between the drum and the rails M hangs in suspension in a curve, so as to automatically take up any lost motion due to wear or otherwise, avoiding the use of any compensating appliances.

To prevent pinching or jamming of the passengers at the ends of the carriages, I make use of stationary guards O, suitably supported at opposite sides of the chain of carriages in close proximity to the ends thereof, as best shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The surface of these side guards for a distance both above and below the planes of the treads and risers of the carriages is continuous and unbroken, and it will be seen that by the use of the side guards and the curved risers I secure an inclined elevator or stairway which is practically as tight at all points as an ordinary wooden or metal stairs, thereby overcoming the possibility of any article of wearing-apparel being caught between successive steps or between the ends of the steps and the side guards.

It is of course important to prevent persons or material which may be carried by the elevator from passing beyond the line or plane A A of the axis of the upper drum, and I therefore arrange a deflecting plate. or partition U adjacent to the upper part of the elevator,

preferably extending from the center toward opposite sides, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

As the power is applied to the periphery of the drum or drums, the operation of the elevator is effected with much less friction and wear than if the drum was driven from its central shaft.

Any suitable means may be employed for preventing retrograde movement. Thus rackrails R may be arranged adjacent to the rails M, so as to engage pawls S, hanging from the ends of the shafts J. These pawls are preferably of differentlengths, so as to insure that some of them will always be in engagement with the teeth.

lVhile I have illustrated one form and arrangement of my improved elevator, it will be evident that many of the details may be varied and would be varied according to different circumstances.

Without limiting myself to the precise construction and arrangement of parts shown, I claim as my invention- 1. In an elevator, the combination of a series of carriages each provided with supporting-wheels and with bearings extending below the axes of said wheels, rails upon which the supporting-wheels travel, connections between the carriages and connections between the bearings thereof, substantially as described.

2. The combination in an endless elevator, of a series of carriages each having an axle and two end wheels, and a cross-bar below the axle, links connecting the axles of the adjacent carriages, and other links with elongated eyes connecting the cross-bars of adjacent carriages, substantially as set forth.

3. In an elevator, the combination with a continuous series of carriages each provided with depending bearings, axles supported 011 the bearings, supporting-wheels upon the axles and links connecting the axles of adjacent carriages, substantially as described.

4. In an elevator, the combination with a continuous series of carriages each provided with treads and risers, connections between the carriages, drums around which the carriages pass, rails for supporting the upper run of the series of carriages, and rails for supporting the lower run of said series, the

' I lower rails being shorter than the lower run of said series of carriages to permit a part of and links having elongated eyes connecting the bearings, substantially as described.

6. In an elevator, the combination with a continuous series of carriages each provided with supporting-wheels and with bearings depending below the axes of the supporting- Wheels, wheels carried by the bearings, rails upon which said wheels travel, connections between the carriages and independent connections between the depending bearings,

substantially as described.

w 7. In an elevator, the combination with supporting-rails, of a continuous series of carriages adapted to travel thereon, drums adjacent the ends of said rails around which the carriages pass, said drums being provided with peripheral teeth, and driving mechanism meshing with said teeth, substantially as de scribed.

8. In an elevator, the combination with separated rails and an intermediate rail parallel with said rails but in a lower plane, of a continuous series of carriages each provided with wheels adapted to engage the separated rails and the intermediate rail, substantially as described.

9. In an elevator, the combination with a continuous series of carriages provided with projecting bearings, of drums provided with sockets and with projections arranged in different 'circular planes, said sockets being adapted to receive a part of the carriages and the projections adapted to receive the bearings of said carriages between them, whereby 45 the carriages are maintained in true radial position in traveling around the drums, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT 'OARTWRIGI-IT.

Witnesses:

"1. D, BIDWELL,

F. K. WARD. 

